Showing posts with label fairytales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fairytales. Show all posts
Friday, January 13, 2012
Ever since the Harry Potter books were published, there has been an explosion of YA Fantasy. But people seem to forget that fantasy has been around a long time.
This week I thought I’d recommend some nearly forgotten fantasy novels that have been collecting dust on your library shelves. These have been around long before Harry went to Hogwarts, some even before Bilbo left the Shire.
"The story of young Princess Irene and her friend Curdie, who must outwit the threatening goblins who live in caves beneath her mountain home." — I read this when I was a little girl, and I was enchanted by its magic. Just a fun note: MacDonald's goblins were part of the inspiration for Tolkien's orcs.
"The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the 'happily ever after.'" — I found this book in high school and fell in love with it. I felt like I was dreaming while I read it. It was written when Tolkien was just a young man and influenced his creation of the elves of Middle Earth.
"A masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, and a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations." — I love the world the T. H. White created, so strange and beautiful and authentic.
"Meg Wright is nine when she hides under a table and hears her sister Inge kill the King of Scotland by witchcraft, setting in motion a treacherous power struggle." — This one had me from the first line. The story is set in a magical world, but its heroine has no magical abilities. She has to rely on courage and cleverness, and I loved that.
This week I thought I’d recommend some nearly forgotten fantasy novels that have been collecting dust on your library shelves. These have been around long before Harry went to Hogwarts, some even before Bilbo left the Shire.
The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald
"The story of young Princess Irene and her friend Curdie, who must outwit the threatening goblins who live in caves beneath her mountain home." — I read this when I was a little girl, and I was enchanted by its magic. Just a fun note: MacDonald's goblins were part of the inspiration for Tolkien's orcs.
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
"When orphan Maria arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she's come home. Her new guardian is kind and funny, and everyone there is like an old friend. But beneath the beauty and comfort lies a tragedy." — I thought this book was all about me when I read it (mostly because my last name is Mooney, so of course I am a moon princess).
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
"The adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain." — I was actually really late learning about these books, and I regret that. I could see my twelve-year-old self devouring them.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
The Once and Future King Series by T. H. White
Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry
The Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce
"Alanna of Trebond disguises herself as a boy and makes her way to the castle of King Roald to begin training as a page. As she masters the skills necessary for battle, Alanna must also learn to control her heart." — This is another series I started reading in high school, and I've reread it many times since. It's a must read for any fantasy lover.
Some of these books are out of print, but you can still find them at your local library, or you can buy them used on Amazon.
Are there any forgotten books that you think people should start reading again?
♥Steph
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Last night Sarah and Kristan were very excited to attend the first stop on Marissa Meyer's book tour! Cincinnati, Ohio...who would have thought?!? But Joseph Beth has consistently brought in some fantastic YA authors for readings/signings. (And adult authors too, like Erin Morgenstern at the end of the month!) For those of us not in NY or other highly-concentrated literary areas, it is MUCH appreciated.
(Sarah, Marissa Meyer, Kristan)
If you haven't heard of CINDER, where have you been?!? This book (and series) has gotten a lot of attention for not only securing a four-book deal, but because it's a Sci-Fi take on Cinderella (and subsequently other fairytales), which is, in a word, brilliant! As Marissa said herself, she was really surprised (and perhaps relieved?) no one had thought of it before. We're so glad she did!
One of the people in attendance asked about the setting for CINDER, which is a futuristic Eastern nation that encompasses what we know in the real world as Japan, Korea, China, India, and parts of Russia. In fact, the character names reflect a fusion of these cultures. Meyer explained that she partly chose this setting because she started her career writing Sailor Moon fanfiction (how cool is that?) In fact, a lot of her inspiration comes from this and from wondering "What is Disney not telling us?" in regards to fairytales.
When asked about books she read as a child, she mentioned getting a copy of Hans Christian Anderson fairytales and her excitement upon seeing the first story--"The Little Mermaid." She had just seen this at the movies, but quickly found out that the real tale ends quite differently. CINDER, of course is not a Disney version of the tale either. As a heroine, Cinder is part human, part machine and faces a lot of slack for it. Here's hoping she gets the Prince (but you just know she's not leaving a glass slipper behind...)
Marissa did a reading from page 42 (randomly picked by the audience), which is always great to hear from the voice of the author. The way she read it gave just a hint of the fun and uniqueness of the story.
I can't wait for Kristan to read this book so I can get my hands on it...of course, there's now a stack of autographed copies in stock at Joseph Beth. I might have to run back down there and get my own!
Speaking of books...congrats to our winners of our Holly Jolly Giveaway: Roro won SHATTER ME, Ashley won DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES, and Jackie won THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Thanks for entering and you should be receiving them soon!!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Some stories need to be retold to each generation. Publishers and Studios love doing this because it's guaranteed sales/money, right? It worked before so it should work again. But what about you? Do you get exhausted hearing the same old stuff?
In Ally Condie's debut MATCHED, she touches upon this a little, though I'm not sure it was entirely her intention. In her dystopian future, only 100 works of literature are chosen to represent the past, only 100 pieces of music are available for listening to in their social hours. Their rec. time is scheduled and there's only so much choice.
But there's one character who goes to listen to the music every day after work. He finds something different in it each and every time. What a gorgeous sentiment. (Just another reason why this book is in my list of favs). For sure, some things are worth re-telling over and over again.
At the moment, it seems to be fairytales. Any theories on why this is so popular? I haven't seen the remake of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, but I have to say that when I saw the trailer, I was really geeked for it. So many books are coming out this year (and are apparently flooding agents' inboxes) that give a new spin on an old classic.
Do we really want the same stories over and over again? I know that I love certain kinds of tales, but I also want them to be fresh and original. Very difficult task. What's your favourite retelling of an old classic (movie or book)?
p.s. Don't forget to enter yourself for the 3-book giveaway, by leaving a comment on our previous post. Winners announced May 2nd. Thanks, Sarah. xx
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Stephanie, Ingrid, Sarah & Kristan — we read, write, discuss and celebrate Young Adult lit.
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